St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-01-30
Snider, the Contesting Republican, is
Seated in the House on Very
Flimsy Showing.
Passage of the Freedom of Markets and
Taxation of Railroads Bills With
Little Opposition.
President Hill and Farmer Barrett
Speak at Length on a Question of
Great Interest.
road be Forced Upon the Tracks
of Another!

mouse The main features were the passage
OF Donnelly's freedom of markets and taxa
tior of railroad bills and the election con-
test case Of Snider and Gross. The Judi
ciary committee reported a large batch of
DillS. Among them was one providing for
an additional judge for st. Paul. Mr.
keyes introduced q compromise high license
bill, and the bill to abolish the state board
of immigration was passed. There have
been some slight amendments in Mr.. DON
nelly's bill to tax railroads since it was iu
troduced. AS passed yesterday it read as
follows:
Section. Any railroad company, owning or
operating, or whicn may hereafter own or
operate, any line or lines of railroad in this
state. which has not accepted and become
subject to sections and ., chapter II, of the
special laws of is 13, relative to taxation, shall
become liable to pay and shall pay percent
age of its gross earnings in lieu of all other
taxes, in accordance with the provisions of
the chapter hercinDeforc referred to.
Section. n o railroad, or branch extern
sion OF raIlrOad i'll this state shall hereafter
be opened for public use until the manage
ment thereof shall officially notify the railroad
and warehouse commission that the same is
finished and IN safe condition for operation.
Within one year after such notification the
corporation constructing or operating such
railroad, branch or extension shall file, in the
Office of said commission, map and profile
thereof, with tables of grades, curvatureS and
mileage and statement of the other char
acteristics of the road certified by its presi-
dent and engineer, in such form rs the board
may prescribe.
Mr.. Donnelly briefly explained the bill.
which, he said, was simply to force all rail
road companies 10 come in and pay the
usual per cent of earnings in lieu of tax.
,,ia yNb iah za6
since the cid companies came into eXiS-
tence had not paid this money into the
treasury The bill is TO force these cOmpa-
MES to do so. in order that the Old and new
companies may be placed on an equality.
The only members voting against the bill
were CemStock, Howard and Knox.
Nh Donnelly's freedom of markets bill
proposes an amendment to artice of the
constitution, and reads as follows. the COM
mittee on railroads having made some slight
changes since the bill was first printed:
Sec. 80. ANY combination of persons,
either as individuals or as members or officers
of corporations. TO monopoiZo the markets
for food products of this state, or TO interfere
with or restrict the freedom of such markets,
is hereby declared to be a criminal conspir-
acy, and shall be punis led in such manner
as the legislature may pl o7ide.
Sec. 3. This proposed amendment shall be
submitted to the people of this state for ap-
proval or rejection at the EeXt general cleo
ton occurring after the passage of this act.
The only negative votes were Cullen,
Hendrickson. Potter and Rogers.
ANOTHER HIGH LICENSE BILL.
The high license bill of Mr.. Keyes makes
only one change in the Prosser bill, eiimi-
mating in each section the words: Or such
fee in excess of said sum as the city council
shall, in the manner provided in its charter.
fix and prescribe" or county commission
ers. under same conditions. The effect is
to make 81, 600 and $500 the license in
cities over and under 10, 900 population re-
spectively. and that sum is fixed and can
not be lowered or raised by council or COM
missioners. Mr.. KeyeS says this will re-
move the disturbing liquor question
from municipal and county election, and be
a great relief to the people. Mr.. Keyes
will endeavor to have the Prosser bill SO
amended when the license bill is considered
in the house Thursday afternoon at 2:3O
o'clock.
The consideration of the Snider- Gross
election contest case developed condition
of affairs anything but satisfactory. Gross
was unseated and Snider sworn in, but if
the latter can retain the seat with any sat
isfaction to himself. or without any prick
ings of conscience, he is of different type
from the ordinary mortal. The result is
lust as much III doubt as ever, and there
are few members but who Will
say they are not clear in their minds but
that an injustice has been done. At the
best it was not clearly demonstrated which
is entitled to the seat, and there was very
slight basis for setting aside the certificate
of election held by Gross. The action
taken in seating Snider was.due solely to the
fact that the elections committee had SUBJ
mitted unanimous report in his favor.
MI. Furlong. the Democratic member of
the committee, said he was in doubt when
he signed the report, but had done so
through courtesy to the other members. 1t
was developed that three re-countS had
brought about different rSuitS and that one
Williams, who had been an active agent Of
Snider's in collecting evidence. was allowed
to remain in the room where the committee
was counting the ballots. While Gross was
refused the privilege of having represen-
tative present. A number of members eX-
planned their votes, expressing doubt as to
which was really entitled to the seat, and
on the final vote seating Snider several were
excused from voting. There were no
charges of fraud, but the opinion seems
general that Mr.. Snider goes in under a
cloud.
sNIDER GETS THE SEAT.
1t was 2:30 o'clock when the Snider-
Gross election contest was taken up Speaker
Merriam calling Mr.. Donnelly to the chair.
A call of the house showed the following
absentees: Baker. Bennett, Bjorge, Buff
fun. Champln, Dickman, Flynn, Green
Gregory, Heisler, keyes, Hummer, Lehman,
Ium. Quigley. Sevatson, Smith and Wal
strom. Those sick or absent on leave
were: Beatty, Hattlestad, Hoppn, Nor
rison. Parrot, Petit and Swenson. The
sergeant-at-arms was instructed to bring in
the absentees, and the doors were closed
No evidence was taken, the report of the
election committe only being read. which
showed-On their re-count-4, 694 votes for
Snider. 4.6SS for Merrill and 1852 for
Gross.
motion was made to limit the speeches
of attorneys to ten minutes each, but Gross
mem.). and Snlder (Rep. )-the sitting
member and the onteStant-announced
that their attorneys did not desire to make
any statement Snider also declined to
make anv remarks. and Mr.. Gross took the
aoor He said there could not be much
doubt of the result as Mr.. Snider was a
Renubjican and the house was Republican,
and the committees report had been unani-
mons in favor OF seating Snider. He said
+he committee meetings were star chamber
affairs. lie was loG dilohCu d REPRESENTA-
five. but Mr. Snider's representative was
Mrs. Cloutier wanted an explanation as
n why Snider was allowed representative
and Mr.. Gross was not.
Mr.. Millar said the Gross men demanded
recount, and his attorney was heard On
This point The attorney said if Mr.. Gross
nnr ar a recount he would be satisfied. The
sa-aollnt was made, cutting Gross down one
80 and Snider votes. Mr. Millar denied